Gas-fired cooking ranges are used in both residential and commercial kitchens. A basic design for a gas-fired range includes a gas supply source, a manifold and one or more burner assemblies for receiving gas from the gas supply source. Burner assemblies are provided at one or more location for cooking on top of the range, and in an enclosed oven for baking. A control valve is used for each burner assembly, to initiate and terminate gas flow from the manifold to the burner assembly, and to control the gas flow to regulate the intensity of the flame at the burner assembly. When gas flow is initiated to the burner, an ignition source is required to ignite the gas flow. A known ignition system includes an open-flame, standing pilot system, which includes a continuously burning, small intensity flame adjacent the burner to ignite gas from the burner when gas flow is initiated to the burner. To reduce fuel consumption, a variety of non-standing pilot light systems have been used, including piezo electric and spark ignition systems.
Spark ignition and piezo ignition pilot systems have achieved some acceptability in residential installations. However, in commercial kitchens where ranges are used almost continuously, and hundreds of meals may be prepared in a short time, difficulties have been encountered with spark and piezo pilot systems. Each must be kept very clean to work properly. In commercial kitchens with large quantities of food being prepared in what can be a somewhat hectic environment, spills and boil-overs are common occurrences. Piezo electric and spark ignition systems can be fouled by spillage or boil-overs and thereafter may not work properly. As a result, the burners of a cook top often remain on during the entire kitchen operating time, wasting great amounts of gas. Alternatively, standing pilots are often preferred in commercial kitchens, in part due to their less vulnerability to contamination and fouling and greater reliability.
Cleanability is an important consideration for both residential and commercial ranges. Since the amount of food prepared and the environment in a commercial kitchen can result in frequent spills, and the need for more frequent thorough cleanings, the cleanability and ease of disassembly for a commercial range may be of even greater importance than for a residential range. Known standing pilot ignition systems have included a small gas tube rigidly secured to the manifold and/or to the underneath support area below the burners. Thus, the pilot lights are not removed easily, and often are left in place when the burner assemblies are removed for cleaning. Even when the grates and burners are removed, cleaning around the pilot light system can be difficult in that they are connected in place, more or less permanently. Consequently, food spilled onto and beneath the pilot light gas tubes can be difficult to clean.
Standing open-flame pilot light systems burn continuously unless gas supply to the entire range is interrupted at a main appliance shut-off valve. Although standing pilot light flames are small, when burned continuously the amount of fuel consumed can be significant. Burning pilot lights when a kitchen is closed and not in use is wasteful and expensive. However, known gas circuits for ranges including ovens have used only a single shut-off valve for the entire appliance. The shut-off is on the back of the appliance, and is difficult to access. Further, shutting off all pilot lights including the oven pilot light can be inconvenient, in that oven burner pilot lights are often difficult to re-light due their relative inconvenient location.
What is needed in the art is a shut-off system for pilot lights to reduce fuel consumption when a cook range is not in use and a pilot light system that can be removed quickly and easily for thorough cleaning of the range.